Jet dogfight game



Dec. l2, 1961 SFRIEDMAN JET DOGFIGHT GAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April29, 1959 Dec. 12, 1961 s. FRIEDMAN JET DOGFIGHT GAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed April 29, 1959 INVENTOR. Soz. FRI ED M QN W/ ATTORNEY Dec. 12,1961 s. FRIEDMAN JET DOGFIGI-IT GAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 29.1959 mZQl DUN.

k W05 MJFPONIP mwN/Ww me M wM/e D mf/.w E T F n .0MM S Dec. 12, 1961 s.FRIEDMAN JET DOGFIGHT GAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 29, 1959 mm m Mv D m m m ULI mw Qwwi mw V s f E Q .my r \l n 1 SB 7 u@ Aww 3,012,780Patented Dec.k 12, 1961 3,012,783 JET DOGFIGHT GAME Sol Friedman, 266 E.200th St., Bronx 58, NSY.v Filed Apr. 29, 1959, Ser. No. 809,764 4Claims. (Cl. 273--1) This invention relates to a game apparatus whichincludes the use of two model airplanes manually controlled to rotateabout circular orbits. The invention has particular reference to anautomatic circuit control which makes it possible to score a hit, for agame point, when the models are maneuvered into a desired positionrelative to each other.

The game described herein is competitive, both as to position and tospeed, and requires that each player use judgement to manuever his modeltighter plane into a position where it can hit the opponents plane. Therequirement that each player adjust both speed and position, makes thegame more instructive than the usual type of game where position is theonly basis of winning.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved gameapparatus which avoids one or more of the disadvantages and limitationsof prior art arrangements.

Another object of the game is to teach players to operate mechanismswhich require the adjustment of both speed and position. l

Another object of the game is to provide gun fire cornpetition betweentwo opponents without the use of missiles or the destruction of any gamecomponents.

' Another object of the game is to provide competitive apparatus whichis self-contained and requires no loose parts which may become lost.

The invention comprises a single container or box which includes ahorizontal panel board on which are mounted the operating controls. Apair of spaced vertical' kshafts extend through holes in the panelboard, each of the shafts being coupled to a variable speed motor forshaft rotation. On each shaft an arm is mounted for rotary movement andon the free end of each arm a model of an airplane is secured. Amanually adjustable resistance in series with each of the motors and asource of electric power controls the speed of rotation of -the arms. Anelectric commutator device associated with each shaft is connected to acounting register where hits are recorded.

One feature of the invention includes a mechanical' control foradjusting the height of the path of the model airplanes above the panelboard.

For a better understanding of the present invention,

`together with other and further objects thereof, reference is made tothe following description taken in connection with accompanyingdrawings.

, FIG. l is a plan view of the panel board showing the controls and therotatable arms with their model tight- `ing planes.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the underside of the panel board. Y

lFIG. 3 isa schematic diagram of connections of theY Two vertical shafts12, 13, extend Vthrough ythe panel board and each is joined by a pivotalconnection to a ro4 tatable arm 14, 15, At the free end of each arm amodel of a fighter airplane 16, 17, is secured and the arms are eachcontrolled to maintain an adjustable angular position by means of ametal ring 20, 21, mounted concentric with their associated shafts 12,13. As the arms rotate, they are supported by the top surface of therings and a small variation in the height of the rings causes a largevariation in the height of the model plane.

Each control ring 20, 21, is secured to a lever 22, 23,

which extends through a hole 24, 25, in thepanel board and is pivoted ona bracket 26, 27, by a bolt 28, 30. The details of lever 22 are shown inFIG. 4 where the other end of lever 22 is engaged by a loop 31 at thelower end of a control stick 32, pivoted on a pin 33 which is secured tothe base of the panel board 10. The upper end of the control stick 32 isprovided with a handle 34 for manual operation by one of the players.When the handle 34 is moved from the position shown in solid lines inFIG. 4 to the position shown in dashed lines, loop 3-1 rotates lever 22and moves ring 20 up to position 20A forcing arm 14 to rotate at anangle indicated by dashed line 14A.. This manueverability adds moreinterest to the game and allows the plane models Yto rotate in theirorbits without bumping. Handle 34 includes a gun switch button 35 whichis connected to the electrical circuit. Its function will be describedlater.

Shaft 12 is supported by a U-shaped bracket 36 which is mounted beneaththe panel 10 and is secured to an electric motor 37. `The motor 37 is inturn secured to an angle bracket 38 supported by the panelboard 10.Shaft 12 is fastenedto a gear 40 which meshes with a worm 41,

and worm 41 is connected to another gear 42 which meshes with a worm 43fastened to shaft 44 of motor 37. The gear combination 42, 43, is alsosupoprted by a U- shaped bracket 45 which is also secured tomotor 37.The two gear combinations 42-43 and 41440 reduce the speed of theelectric motor so that shaft 12 and arm 14 revolve'at an averagespeed ofapproximately once per second, this speed being variable overwide limitsby the use of a variable resistance to be described later.

Shaft 12 also carries a contact arm 46 which makes contact with twocommutator segments 47 and 48 as it revolves. The mechanism justdescribed and shown in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5 is only one of a pair ofassernblies which are secured to the panel board. A similar mechanism,similar in all details to the one described is mounted in adjoiningrelationship on the panel as is evident from FIGS. '1 and 2. The onlydifference .bef tween the two assemblies is that the one shown to theright in FIG. l moves in a clockwise direction while the one shown onthe left moves counterclockwise.

Besides being controlled to move up and down above4 the panel board eachcontestant may change theV speed of y! rotation of arm 14 and 15 byadjusting a knob 50, 51,

motor and is connected in series with resistor `53, switch` 54,conductor 55, to the positive side of battery 56. The other side of themotor is connected in series with a pair of contacts 57 and conductor 58to the negative side of the battery. In a similar manner motor 60 whichturns arm 15 is connected in series with resistor 52 and switch 55a tothe negative side of battery 56 by means of conductor 5S. The other sideof motor 60 is connected in series with a pair of contacts 61 andconductor 55 to the positive side of battery 56. It will be evident fromthese connections that as soon as switches 54 and 55a are closed, or putinto their take-off position, both motors will lturn and arms 14 and 15will revolve. It is assumed that all other switches are in their openposition. It should be pointed out that two indicator lamps 62, 63, arenot lighted because each is short-circuited by contacts 61 and 57,respectively (which are normally closed).

Two numerical registers 65 and 64, are associated with the motorcircuits and these registers record the number of hits that one planemakes on another. These registers may comprise a solenoid-operatedcounter or a Simple motor arrangement which indicates an additionaldigit each time current is applied to its terminals. Such registers arewell-known in the art and can be purchased from several manufacturingcompanies. The registers are arranged to make a complete revolution ofpointer 82 when 4 hits have been recorded. Pointer 82 moves clockwise asseen from the top of the panel, starting at the position marked START-After four hits have been recorded the pointer 82 engages one end 61A ofa switch 61 and pushes it down, opening the switch and cutting off powerto the blue motor 60 and at the same time lighting lamp 62 indicatingBlue Plane Destroyed.

As mentioned above, each control stick 34 includes a push button whichcloses an electrical switch. These switches are shown in FIG. 3 as 66and 67. These switches are used to make the game more realistic and hitswill be recorded only when the player presses down on button 35.

The game can be arranged to automatically record hits without the use ofthe switches 66 and 67 under buttons 35, and for such an operation theautomatic-manual switches 70 and 71, are closed. While the game is inprogress reset switches 72 and 73, remain open. After a game has beenfinished and a number of hits recorded by registers 64 and 65, it willbe necessary to reset the counters to showv zero before thenext game cancommence. l1n order to accomplish this, switches 72 and 73 are closeduntil the registers move to their zero position, then the reset switchesare opened and the registers are ready to` record the hits for a newgame. It is contemplated that each register will be arranged to showhits from zero to four, inclusive, and if this is done, the resetswitches 72 and 73 will move the registers in a positive direction toarriveV at zero. Y

Motor 60 is similar to motor 37 and includes a contact arm 74 whichmakes electrical contact with commutator segments 75 and 76.

The operation of the game is as follows: With registers 65 and 64 set atzero, the take-olf switches 54 and 55a are closed and both arms 14 and15 start to revolve under control of throttle knobs and 51,controlling'variable resistors 52 and 53. The object of the game is tomaneuver the speed of the planes so that one opponents plane arrives atspace 77 (traversed by both planes) after his opponents plane. When thisis achieved the following plane scores a hit on the preceding plane. Thecircuit which scores the hit may be traced from the positive end ofbattery 56, conductor 55, switch 54, arm 46 secured to shaft 12, segment48, register 65, gun switch 66, segment 75, and arm 74 associated withmotor 60, switch a, and conductor 53 to the negative side of battery 56.As soon as this circuit is completed the current through registerrecords one hit.

lf the model plane on the en d of arm 15 had been maneuvered to aposition directly behind the model plane on the end of arm14, thenContact arm 74 would make contact with segment 76 at the same time thatarm 46 made contact with segment 47 and a similar circuit could betraced through similar circuit components but this time causing register64 to record one hit.

FIG. 1 shows a throttle, switches, indicator, and control stick for eachcontestant.. On control panel 80 the game reset switch 72 is controlledby a toggle 81 while the register 65 operates an indicator 82 whichcounts the number of hits scored by one player and may have damagedesignations on its dial. Lamp 62, when lighted after four hits,illuminates a window 83 indicating that the other plane has been downedand a toggle 84 controls the position of switch 70. In a similar mannertoggles 85 and 86 control switches 73 and 71 while the dial 87 indicatesthe number of hits recorded by register 64.

The game may be played by a single person, and when this is done oneplane is set at a constant speed and at a constant elevation,automatic-fire switch is thrown to auto position so that drone plane canscore hits on plane under control and then the player tries to maneuverthe other plane to score as many hits as possible within` a given timeor a given number of revolutions.

It will be obvious from the above description that all game componentsare secured to a single panel board and cannot become loose or get lost.There are only selected positions where hits may be recorded and thesehits are dependent upon the position and extent of the commutatorsegments associated with revolving arms 46 and 74.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A game comprising, a container including a horizontal panel board, apair of spaced apart vertical shafts each extending through a hole inthe panel board and each coupled to a variable speed motor for axialrotation, a pair of rotatable arms each having one of its ends securedrespectively to the upper ends of the shafts, a model of an airbornevehicle mounted at t-he other end of each arm, manually adjustable meansfor independently controlling the speed of rotation of said shafts, apair of electric commutator means secured to the panel board and eachhaving at least two segments, a brush secured to each of said verticalshafts and engaging said commutator segments during the shaft rotation,and indicator means connected to saidcommutators and brushes for showingwhen either one of said models is positioned adjacent to and in the rearof the other of said models and in contact with the commutator means.

2. A game comprising, a container for housing control and operatingmechanisms and including a horizontal panel board, a pair of spacedapart vertical` shafts each extending through a hole in the panel boardand each coupled to a variable speed motor for axial rotation, a pair ofrotatable arms each having one of its ends secured respectively to theupper ends of the shafts, a model of an airborne vehicle mounted at theother end of each arm, a pair of manually adjustable means each forindependent control of the speed of rotation of said shafts within apredetermined range of speeds, a pair of electric commutator meanssecured to the panel board and each having at least two segments, abrush secured to each of said vertical shafts and positioned forresilient engagement of said commutator segments during the rotation ofthe shafts, and a pair of indicator means each connected in series withselected commutator segments and brushes for showing when either one ofsaid models is positioned adjacent to and in the rear of the other ofsaid models and in contact with the commutator means.

3. A game comprising, a container including a horizontal panel board, apair of spaced apart vertical shafts each extending through a hole inthe panel board and each coupled to a variable speed motor, anadjustable arm pivotally mounted at one end on each of said shafts forrotary movement above said panel, a model of an airborne vehicle mountedat the other end of each arm, manually adjustable means forindependently controlling the speed of rotation of said shafts,mechanical means for adjusting the angular position of each arm withrespect to the plane of the panel board, and an electric commutatormeans for completing a circuit through an indicating device when eitherof said models is positioned adjacent to and in the rear of the othermodel and in contact with the commutator means.

4. A game comprising, a container for housing control and operatingmechanisms and including a horizontal panel board, a pair of spacedapart Vertical shafts each extending through a hole in the panel boardand each coupled to a variable speed motor for axial rotation, a pair ofrotatable arms each having one of its ends pivoted respectively to theupper ends of said shafts, a model of an airborne vehicle mounted at theother end of each arm, a pair of manually adjustable means each forindependent control of the speed of rotation of said shafts within apredetermined range of speeds, mechanical means for adjusting theangular position of each arm with respect to the plane of the panelboard, a pair of electric commutator means secured to the panel boardand each having at least two segments, a brush secured to each of saidvertical shafts and positioned for resilient engagement of saidcommutator segments during the rotation of the shafts, and a pair ofindicator means each connected in series with selected commutatorsegments and brus-hes for showing when either of said models ispositioned adjacent to and in the rear of the other of said models andin contact with the commutator means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,561,402 Bern-wall Nov. 10, 1925 1,700,273 Scott Jan. 29, 19291,857,629 Epstein et al May 10, 1932 2,067,828 Christiansen Jan. l2,1937 2,280,623 Broomfield Apr. 21, 1942l 2,491,888 Baker Dec. 20, 19492,898,108 Meyer Aug. 4, 1959

